We are excited to announce that our very own Paulina Lopez-Velazquez was selected as the Woman of the Year by Assemblymember Sebastian Ridley-Thomas of the 54th Assembly District for the state of California. Paulina was part of a distinct group of 80 women that were invited to attend a special ceremony in our state's capitol honoring them and all of the women in California.

This is a great distinction that is awarded to women who are making significant contributions to their communities and who are making California a better place for women and their families. Paulina was recognized for her efforts as a partner at the award-winning restaurant her family owns, La Guelaguetza and for serving her community as Board Member for her daughters' school CLIC, and for being a host of the Super Mamas Podcast.

Paulina was inspired to be in the presence of so many accomplished women, and she also had a chance to hear author Reina Grande an award-winning novelist, talk about her book called, "The Distance Between Us."

Paulina had this to say about her day at the Capitol, "I was able to see 80 women from across the state who are doing amazing things and as a result, my desire to help the community has become even greater. I also learned a lot about our state government. It was a pleasure to meet my representative and see what a great example he is to our community."

Paulina shared with us the significance of this award, "I realize there's so much more I want to do and accomplish. I feel so excited to be alive today in this moment, and I believe we are going through a huge shift in how people perceive women, and what we can make happen. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for my daughters."

On the podcast, Paulina has shared about her struggles with postpartum depression and feelings of low self-esteem. While she received this award she reflected on her journey. "I remember feeling at times like I couldn't deal with life like everyone else did, and it took a lot of internal work to battle things like depression. My life transformed when I made the conscious effort to work on myself and be aware of things I needed to change."

She had these words of advice for us, "If I was able to overcome then you can too. Surround yourself with the right group of people. Find people who mentor you, and inspire you. This will make all the difference. Stop aspiring for perfection and you will be amazed by what you can do."

Paulina was excited to share this special day with her husband, Ramiro.

We couldn't be more proud of our Super Mama!

Remember there is greatness in all of us and our potential is limitless.